Disabled Consumers in the Era of Digitalization

Abstract

Many tendencies of changes observed at present in behaviors of consumers are finding their explanation in the postmodernism which is result and simultaneously a motive for another processes transforming the contemporary economy. These changes are carrying the common name of the “new consumption”, including the sequence of intensified phenomena, among others, virtual ization and prosumption. It is exactly a phenomenon of prosumption that encourage consumers to actively contribute and shape products and services available on the market. The aim of the article is introducing the disabled consumer as the active participant creating changes through sharing his observations and experiences and through the participation in virtual communities. Reflections in the article are being kept around the opinion that under the conditions of continuous digitization websites, portals and community services, blogs as well as discussion forums can constitute the effective tool of communicating with enterprises as well as with other participants of the market in the range of expressing one's needs and expectations and sharing own expe-riences and observations. In the article research approach leaning against preliminary research of the writing and empirical examinations were presented. Starting with the postmodernist culture of the consumption a phenomenon of prosumption was characterized as well as changes in the course of decisionmaking processes of the contemporary consumer were underlined. Based on empirical examinations an appraisal of the prosumer activity of physically disabled consumers was made. A considerable activity and an interest of respondents in such a form of the communication with other consumers and enterprises were observed.